UNC Basketball: Tar Heels' Biggest Storylines Ahead of Duke Showdown

One team stands in the way of a regular-season ACC title for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and of course, that is the Duke Blue Devils.

The Tar Heels go on the road on the last day of the year, trying to avenge the 74-73 loss on their home court a few weeks earlier. Duke was seemingly overmatched all game long yet found a way to pull out a surprising upset at the Dean Dome.

Now it is up to UNC to get some payback at Cameron Indoor Stadium, although it won't be that easy. Saturday's matchup will require better and smarter play than we have seen in recent weeks and especially in the previous loss to this squad.

Here is a look at the biggest things to watch for as the team heads into its biggest matchup of the season to date.

Can UNC Keep Going Inside?

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After the previous loss to Duke, head coach Roy Williams apologized for not calling a timeout on the final possession, which resulted in a poor Joel Berry shot attempt. What he should have apologized for is not getting his team to force the ball in the post the entire game.

The Blue Devils like to spread the floor with Brandon Ingram playing as a power forward, but he really struggles defending inside. Marshall Plumlee is a solid defender and rebounder, although he was playing with four fouls for a good portion of the second half. The coaching staff also barely even trusts freshman Chase Jeter to get him limited minutes.

Despite these restrictions, North Carolina continued to settle for jumpers down the stretch. Brice Johnson had a dominant showing with 29 points and 19 rebounds, but he only took one shot attempt in the final 12 minutes of the game. Imagine the numbers he could have put up if the Tar Heels stayed aggressive down the stretch.

Johnson has been one of the best big men in the nation this year while Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks are also dangerous in the post. UNC has to take advantage of this mismatch throughout the game against Duke.

Will Any Shots Fall?

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North Carolina has not been a good shooting team this season. The squad ranks just 298th in the country at 31.6 percent shooting from three-point range as well as sitting dead last in the ACC in conference play with a putrid 29.2 percent from deep, per Sports Reference.

Marcus Paige's inconsistency from beyond the arc has really hurt this team's ability to spread the floor, and it has really made this offense one-dimensional.

Of course, even with the poor shooting, you can expect things to go a little better than the last game against Duke. The Tar Heels finished just 1-of-13 from three-point range in the one-point loss to the Blue Devils. Paige and Joel Berry combined to go 4-of-22 from the field.

This team certainly isn't consistent, but it has shown the ability to make long shots against quality defensive opponents. North Carolina went 9-of-20 from the outside in the blowout win over Miami as well as 9-of-19 in the loss at Virginia. Duke is not as good defensively as either of these teams.

UNC will hopefully be able to perform at least slightly better in its shooting this time around.

Which Team Will Control the Pace?

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In a battle between two elite teams with different styles, the pace of the game might be one of the biggest factors in the outcome.

As is usually the case with North Carolina, the squad likes to move up and down the court as much as possible, taking advantage of transition buckets whenever there is a chance. According to Kenpom.com, an average Tar Heels possession lasts 15.1 seconds, 12th shortest in college basketball.

On the other side of the court, Duke prefers to keep a slower pace with an adjusted tempo ranking 208th in the country. The relaxed style helps ensure the best shot possible while reducing mistakes and turnovers.

Not only does UNC want to get Duke out of its comfort zone with a faster pace, but the Blue Devils also can't come close to matching the depth from the road team. More up-and-down play will likely wear down key players like Ingram and Grayson Allen, who likely wouldn't be spending too much time on the bench.

Even with a close game, this style could help the Tar Heels pull away late.

Has Isaiah Hicks Earned the Start?

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Kennedy Meeks does a lot of things well, and on many teams he would be a go-to option in the post. However, North Carolina is a better team with Isaiah Hicks on the court.

Hicks has shown to be a more versatile scorer who can create his own looks near the basket. On defense, he isn't much of a shot-blocker, but he is a better on-ball defender who can also handle pick-and-rolls from opponents.

Roy Williams might have finally seen the difference in the win over Syracuse with Hicks playing 22 minutes, compared to just 13 for Meeks. Joel James got the start as part of Senior Night tradition, but it might be time to finally put the better player in the starting lineup.

ESPN's Jay Williams is certainly on board, campaigning for the switch on television, via Jeff Gravley of WRAL.

The biggest concern might be defensive rebounding, but the positives should outweigh the negatives in this move.

Is This Class Intimidated by Duke?

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Even for a veteran team, North Carolina has had its problems away from home this year. After losing three of its last five road games, it is certainly a major question mark heading into one of the toughest environments in college basketball.

However, it might not be the fans who cause problems. It might just be the opposing jersey.

Johnson and Paige's senior class is now 1-6 against Duke, including three losses in three trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The only win came when Leslie McDonald of all people scored 21 points in 2014.

While UNC played well on the road a year ago against a superior opponent, the Blue Devils have not always had the most talent. Yet, there seems to be some sort of mental block when it comes to pulling out a victory.

All could be forgotten with one big win to close out this season and win the ACC regular-season title, but like the others, it will not be easy.

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